Amendment ID: S1975-12

Amendment 12

State Primaries

Mr. Hedlund moves to amend the amendment by adding at the end thereof the following new section:-

Section X.  Section 28 of chapter 53, as so appearing in the 2012 Official edition, is hereby amended by striking out said section and inserting thereof the following new section:-

State primaries held in years where there is no Presidential primary shall be held on the seventh Tuesday preceding biennial state elections and on the fourth Tuesday preceding special state elections, except that primaries before special elections for senator or representative in congress shall be held on the sixth Tuesday preceding said elections. State primaries and Presidential primaries shall be held on the first Tuesday in March in any year in which presidential electors are to be elected. Notwithstanding any provision of law to the contrary, any town may hold its preliminary or regular town elections on the same date designated as the date to hold a presidential primary, in any year in which presidential electors are to be elected, provided that such election is by a ballot independent of the ballot used at a presidential primary. City and town primaries before all city and town elections shall be held on the twenty-eighth day preceding such elections.

Except in Boston, primaries shall be held wholly or partly by wards, precincts or towns, as the aldermen or selectmen may designate.

Notwithstanding the provisions of any general or special law, town charter or by-law to the contrary, if the date for holding a preliminary, primary or town election or annual town meeting falls within thirty days before or after the presidential primary, the town council in a town having a town council and the board of selectmen in any other town, after consulting the town clerk may, by majority vote, establish a date between February first and May thirty-first for holding such preliminary, primary or town election or annual town meeting. Any preliminary, primary or town election or annual meeting shall be held on the date or dates established and shall be called as provided by sections nine A and ten of chapter thirty-nine.

Notwithstanding the provisions of any general or special law to the contrary, if the date for holding a district election falls within thirty days before or after the presidential primary, the prudential committee, if any, otherwise the commissioners, of the district may, by majority vote, establish a date between February first and May thirty-first for holding such district election. Any district election shall be held on the date established and shall be called as provided by section one hundred and nineteen of chapter forty-one. For the purposes of this section, district shall mean a district created by special law or established under the provisions of a general law.